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For most of us, keeping houseplants is relatively simple. We water them, throw them some fertilizer now and then and make sure they’re getting enough sunlight. Seems pretty simple, right?
With so many of us relying on climate control and central heat and air to keep our homes comfortable, there is one more step that you might be missing — and it’s one that sounds a bit off the wall. Should you be showering with your plants?
Showering with your plants sounds wild, and it certainly isn’t necessary. It’s most important that you practice proper plant care both at home and in the garden.
First, rinsing your houseplants once in a while gives you the chance to clean away any dust and pests that accumulate throughout the season. Even if you keep an immaculate house, you still generate dust and you will occasionally have an issue with houseplant-devouring pests. Giving your leafy friends a cool shower is akin to letting them hang out in the yard during a rainstorm, without worrying about them getting tossed about by a stiff breeze.
If you take the time to fully saturate your plant’s roots while you’re also rinsing off the dust that it’s accumulated over the last season. Let them soak up some of that moisture and restore them to their former glory.
Sometimes, your regular hand watering isn’t enough to keep your houseplants healthy and happy. In dry environments like inside your home, it is easy for potting soil to get dry and cakey, allowing water to drain through the pots too fast for the roots to absorb. It may also start forming channels, which let any water you try to give the plant drain immediately to the bottom.
In these cases, regardless of the season, your plants can benefit from an additional shower. Some experts recommend showering your plants at least once a season to make sure that the soil stays hydrated and can retain moisture rather than just turning your houseplants into a self-contained desert planet.
Now that we know why you should be giving your plants a shower every few months, what about showering with your plants? Believe it or not, a steamy bathroom is a perfect place for all sorts of different houseplants. Many, like eternity plants and spider plants, thrive in a relatively low-light environment. Air plants don’t even need soil and can pull all the water they need right from the air when the environment is humid.
Even plants like orchids, which can be fairly finicky and difficult to grow, can thrive in the low-light, high humidity environment that your shower provides. You can turn your bathroom into a green oasis and shower with your plants, just make sure you’re choosing species that don’t need a lot of light and love humid areas.
As a bonus, many of the plants that would thrive in your shower are among those that are best for filtering out VOCs and other harmful materials from the air inside your home. Instead of investing in expensive air filters, just add a few bits of greenery to your bathroom to improve air quality and make your house a little bit healthier.
The answer to this question is that it depends on the plant — but you should absolutely be giving your houseplants a shower once a season to ensure that they’re getting enough water. Watering your plants in the shower also gives you the chance to wash off any dust that might be accumulating on its leaves, and to trim off any dead or dying foliage to encourage healthy growth.
If you want to shower with your plants, there are plenty of options to choose from that thrive in low-light and high moisture environments. Choose wisely, and you’ll turn your bathroom into an oasis.
